Is Harry Kane’s slow start actually a good omen for Spurs and England?

Holly Thackeray | August 27, 2016

Kane’s slow start at Spurs is dangerman deja vu

If you ventured back in a time machine to the first few opening weeks of the 2015/16 Premier League season, you’d find plenty of similarity surrounding current Tottenham talking points.

The main topic of conversation on the terraces and in the tabloids? Harry Kane’s slow start at Spurs of course.

As White Hart Lane’s homegrown hero, who had burst onto the scene in 2014 to score a bucket-full of goals, opinion was divided as to whether this bright new British hope would pick up where he left off or succumb to that overstated second season syndrome.

As it happened it was a bit of both at first. There was much ado about nothing as Kane struggled to get going in Spurs’ white and blue strips, taking seven Premier League games to record his first strike and 10 before he really hit familiar form.

We all know what happened next, as Kane cemented a starting spot in the England squad under Roy Hodgson, forcing all-time top scorer Wayne Rooney back into a deeper role and going on to claim the coveted Premier League Golden Boot with 25 goals in 38 games.

Now, there looks to be a repeat, with Kane quiet yet doing little wrong on the pitch, simply struggling to get through the gears and rediscover his nose for goal after the summer break. Yet, it won’t take long for the knives, and doubters, to be out in force again.

Kane can play catch up for top scorer crown

One of our top Kane tips to take then could well be for the Spurs striker to retain his PL top scorer crown, as there is a clear pattern in his play.

In Kane’s first full Premier League season in Tottenham colours, which coincided with youth-favouring manager Mauricio Pochettino’s appointment, it took the frontman six top-flight games to get into stride and score.

Yet, back then few fans and pundits seemed to mind, with Kane’s emergence a pleasant surprise. The bar and pressure were set fairly low, but still Kane took his time to warm-up before going on a goal glut – proving that with some talents patience is key, as well as taking the time to ramp into form.

It was a similar story when Kane was on loan at Millwall, where he cut his teeth in the Championship. Again it took nine appearances for Kane to find the second division net, but you’d be hard pressed to find a Spurs fan who didn’t think that stint away was worth it.

A confidence player, once Kane sniffs out and converts a chance for Tottenham his tally should ignite, but there’s clearly no rushing the hitman.

Hauled off late in the second-half against Liverpool to much surprise, it just didn’t look like Kane’s day, but that’s not to say the still young 23-year-old didn’t contribute.

Helping cause havoc with a cross in the build-up to Spurs’ leveller, pushed slightly further back as he learns to play in a front two with new partner Vincent Janssen, these again just seem like signs Kane is revving up to full throttle.

With one assist against Crystal Palace already, cunning Kane has already totted up half of his total PL assist haul of two from last term and there is still so much more to come. So perhaps don’t take him out of you fantasy team just yet!

England answers fall to Allardyce

Despite still needing to find his shooting boots, there seems little doubt that new England manager Sam Allardyce will call Kane up to his first Three Lions squad.

So, if none of Coral’s Kane tips quite tickle your fancy, or even if they do, you can also get your hands on some great England odds.

There are 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia, Malta and Slovenia just around the corner, and Kane will surely be a crucial cog as Allardyce’s England are 7/4 to go unbeaten in Group F, or an equally tempting 10/1 to win all their pool games.

The good news is that, despite Kane’s slow Spurs start, Kane proved last season that if still waiting to break his duck for Tottenham he can open his account for England.

The Three Lions forward came flying out of the blocks on his England bow, striking on his debut, before nabbing three goals and two assists in his five appearances in Euro 2016 qualifiers, leading the line well no matter hos club duties were going.

Three Lions fresh start

Kane rightly came under criticism for his comparatively poor European Championship performances for the Home Nation, in which he toiled and looked tired after being Tottenham’s main provider of goals in a long season.

Yes, there was a sharpless lacking as Kane once again did fail to get off to a flyer, with form for country this time mirroring the time needed to adapt at club level. He just didn’t have that space as England crashed out to minnows Iceland in the last 16.

Perhaps the Three Lions fallout has left a hangover, but, a return to the Three Lions fold could fix that. Allardyce has plenty of options up top, and ones in the form of Jermain Defoe and Daniel Sturridge that are scoring, but will surely not overlook Kane.

Kane will have to play out of his skin however, with plenty of motivation to impress his new boss, and his experience operating in a front two now could also bode well with Big Sam.

Those England odds may well be worth backing then, as slow starter Kane seeks to silence doubts and complaints once more.

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